Gran Canaria Welcomes Irish Tourists Back
When times are tough in the world of travel, any holiday island seeing an increase
in visitors from a particular country will be delighted to see them - and so it is with Gran Canaria who has seen the number of Irish tourists rise while the number of British holidaymakers has been declining.But is it because the island has been giving a warmer welcome to the Irish than the British?
Not a bit of it - both the UK and Irish economies have fared badly in recent times, but the Irish have a good economic reason to visit, while the British might have been tempted by other destinations.
It's because of the Euro.
Ireland also uses the Euro, so the cost of a holiday in Gran Canaria has remained pretty constant in recent years. The Irish tourist doesn't even have to pay commission on foreign exchange as they can use the same money they have in Ireland.
It's a different story for the British though.
Their currency, Sterling - or the pound - has crashed in the last couple of years by over 30 per cent against the Euro, sending the cost of visiting local attractions and dining out soaring. One result has been a surge in popularity of package holidays where meals are included in the price of a holiday at the hotel tourists have booked.
In place of their traditional holiday favourites, areas which don't use the Euro and whose currency isn't strong against Sterling have done well - notably Turkey and Egypt.
But the Brits do still visit despite the rise because for many a Gran Canaria holiday is something special. An Irish newspaper put it well when they described it as:
'The Canary Islands are a home from home for many an Irish holidaymaker, offering the twin attractions of value and sunshine. Those who love Gran Canaria wouldn't go anywhere else. Those who haven't tried it might like to think again. Far from being just one long beach, the island is a continent in miniature, with surprising contrasts in landscape that range from deep ravines to mountain peaks. And while most of us associate Gran Canaria only with dunes, the northern part of the island is carpeted in green pines and lush sugar-cane and banana plantations.'
If the British pound strengthens against the Euro, the number of British people taking holidays on the island will rise to their former levels.
And with the Euro under pressure with the Greek economy faltering that might just happen.
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